COMEDIAN Brendan Grace has opened up about the relationship between Roy Keane and his son-in-law Frank Gillespie, describing the pair as "old buddies".

Speaking about the altercation between the two men last week, the entertainer said the pair had been friends for a long time.

The comedian described the encounter at the hotel where the Irish national soccer team were staying as "a nine-day wonder". "These things happen and he got a big lot of publicity for his book. Maybe they arranged it, who knows?" he said.

The comedian added that he had no idea what happened between the two men, but joked: "It was just a friendly."

He also revealed that Mr Keane's parents, Maurice and Marie, had attended Mr Gillespie's wedding to his daughter Melanie Grace in 2006.

"They were at the wedding as well, so Roy Keane and Frank go back a long time.

"They just didn't see eye-to-eye or maybe, as I said, it was just an altercation," he told the 'Keith Finnegan Show' on Galway Bay FM.

He added that Mr Gillespie had now returned home to the United States.

Mr Gillespie, who lives in Boston, was at the centre of a row with Mr Keane - the assistant manager of the national team - at the Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links prior to Ireland's clash with Scotland.

The dispute last Wednesday occurred after Mr Gillespie, an avid football fan, approached Mr Keane and asked him to sign a copy of his autobiography, which he refused to do.

Following the incident, which led to Mr Gillespie being taken to hospital, the former publican is now seeking an apology from Mr Keane.